Romania’s central election authority and top court have barred independent candidate Călin Georgescu from running in May’s presidential election re-run.

The Details: Euronews (Center bias) reported on March 9 that Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) didn’t approve a document related to his campaign funding because it didn’t have the required signature. On March 11, Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR) unanimously rejected Georgescu’s appeal because he does not “respect the conditions provided by law.”

For Context: Georgescu, who critics have described as “far-right” and “pro-Russian,” delivered a surprise victory in the first round of Romania’s December presidential elections, but the CCR annulled the results, citing Russian interference. Georgescu declared no political spending, and gained fast traction largely off the back of a TikTok campaign that the CCR alleged Russia was behind. In January, protestors demonstrated in support of Georgescu. 

Split Narratives: On February 26, Georgescu was arrested on criminal charges, his team claimed, while on his way to register for the presidential race. At the time, Euronews reported that “sources at the Electoral Commission” told it the registration process had not opened yet. According to the Romanian government, the “electoral period” began on February 18, and candidates have until March 15 to register.

How The Media Covered It: The Guardian (Left) described Georgescu as “far-right” and a “Russia-friendly populist.” ZeroHedge (Lean Right), which has origins in neighboring Bulgaria, framed the story as a death of democracy in Romania. ZeroHedge noted polls showed Georgescu around 40-45% which would have given him “a real chance of becoming Romania’s president.”

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